Throughout history, fireplaces and other devices have used thermal energy to heat spaces. In ancient times, wood was used in order to create heat. As technology evolved, gas and oil became the fuel source for fireplaces and other heat generating appliances. Gas and oil burning appliances have used various types of controllers or modules to initiate and control the combustion involved in generating heat in such heat generating appliances.
A thermopile is an electronic device that converts thermal energy into electrical energy. Thermopiles have been used within modules for gas burning fireplaces. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,087 discloses a thermopile that receives thermal energy from a pilot burner and converts such thermal energy to power the fuel valve and burner control. This design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,087 requires a user to manually light the pilot, which creates safety issues and is inefficient and inconvenient. Additionally, the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,087 requires that the pilot remain lit and powered by the fuel source at all times. As a result, this increases the amount of fuel consumption thereby increasing the cost to the consumer. Additionally, if the pilot becomes extinguished, then then pilot must be relit, which can create safety issues. The above-mentioned issues can be disadvantageous to the consumer.
Another example where a thermopile has been used in gas burning appliances is in U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,478. U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,478 discloses the use of a thermopile that receives thermal energy from a pilot flame. As current is generated by the pilot flame it is converted using a DC-to-DC converter to power a microprocessor and stepper motor. This design requires the use of a DC-to-DC converter. This design is disadvantageous as it requires the use of DC-to-DC converter, which may malfunction. Additionally, requiring a DC-to-DC converter may also increase the cost to a user.
Another example of the use of a thermopile with gas or oil burning appliances is United States Patent Application Publication Serial No. US 2014/0165927. This design discloses an unpowered rechargeable energy source that provides power to operate the combustion control system. This design causes a constant drain on the battery. As a result the battery life is decreased requiring frequent replacement and monitoring. As with the above prior mentioned prior art, United States Patent Application Publication Serial No. US 2014/0165927 can be disadvantageous to the consumer.
Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with prior art as discussed above, and particularly a need for a more cost effective and efficient ignition module for use with gas burning appliances.